Sleeveless rain protecting garment



Feb. 27, 1968 H. TEMPELHOF 3,370,303

SLEEVELESS RAIN PROTECTING GARMENT Filed Aug. 3, 1966 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HERA/IA NN TEMPELHOF' EDWARD D. OER/AN ATTORNEY Feb. 27, 1968 H. TEMPELHOF 3,370,303

SLEEVELESS RAIN PROTECTING GARMENT Filed Aug. 5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HER/WA /v/v TEMPELHOF EDWARD D. 0 BR/A/v ,4 TTOEA/EY United States Patent 3,370,303 SLEEVELESS RAIN PROTECTING GARMENT Hermann Tempelliof, Cortaillod, Switzerland, assignor to Etablissements H. Tempelhof, Neuchatel-Serrieres, Neuchatel, Switzerland Filed Aug. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 569,909' Claims priority, application Switzerland, Aug. 19, 1965, 11,671/65 4 Claims. (Cl. 2-88) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to a sleeveless rain protecting garment, and particularly a garment which provides both mobility of the arms of the wearer and complete rain protection, even though mobility is achieved. This mobility and rain protection is achieved by providing a wrapping part which is arranged to extend across the back and shoulders of the wearer to terminate in edges separated from each other at the front of the wearer, and a frontal protective part which is positioned over the chest of the wearer. The edges of the wrapper are arranged to be detachably securable to flanges on the frontal protective part. Thus, complete rain protection is assured. The arms have mobility under the wrapping part, and may be extended out through the opening between the wrapping part and the flanges, when they are disconnected. Furthermore, the arms can be extended out between the edges of the wrapper and flanges when the fastening means permits such movement. In the preferred embodiment, the frontal protective part terminates at the flanges which detachably secure to the wrapper. However, in another embodiment, the frontal protective part is part of a complete sleeveless protective coat which extends around the back of the wearer and it may extend downward farther than the wrapper.

The invented rain protecting garment is characterized by at least one wrapping part which at least along its lateral edges is connectible with a frontal protective part, that is suitable for enclosing of the neck portion.

Background All previous rain protecting garments hitherto known were topcoats or capes. These coats had a drawback in that movement of the arms was hindered to a certain extent, and that the accessibility to the pockets of the conventional clothing or any other instruments which normally are carried under the rain coat, as, for example, in the case of military personnel, hand grenades, food supplies, etc., was practically impossible.

The cape, on the other hand, had the advantage of unhindered mobility and easy accessibility to all things situated under the rain protecting garment. They, however, had the drawback that when moving the arms, particularly upwardly, the rain protecting garment would expose the regular clothing, especially at the front. This exposure could not be eliminated.

It is the purpose of this invention to combine the two mentioned already known rain protecting garments and at the same time avoiding their respective drawbacks.

Description The object of the present invention is a sleeveless rain protecting garment, which particularly is intended for persons who do outside bodily work in all kinds of weather, as for example, military personnel, police oflicers, street workers, etc.

It is another object of this invention to provide a rain protecting garment which has both a wrapper to protect "ice the back, arms and shoulders of the wearer against rain and a frontal protective part which is detachably secured thereto and which protects the front of the wearer, both when snapped to the wrapper and when unsnapped from the wrapper. When unsnapped, the opening between the wrapper and the frontal protective portion provides greater arm mobility. It is a further object of this invention to provide a sleeveless rain protecting garment which is of economic construction and readily usable with mobility without substantial hindrance to arm movement by those engaged in outdoor activity in inclement weather. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following portion of this specification, the claims and the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the sleeveless rain protecting garment of this invention, showing the garment as worn.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the sleeveless rain protective garment of this invention, with parts broken away, showing the garment as worn.

The rain protecting garment shown in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 consists basically of a wrapping part 1 and an insert part 2 arranged for frontal protection. From its arrangement, it can be seen that insert part 2 serves as the frontal protection piece. It cooperates with the wrapping part 1 to provide complete frontal, shoulder and back rain protection. Wrapping part 1 is continuous and extends all around the back, from edge to edge.

Wrapping part and insert part are interconnected :by stitching or other securement at the shoulder 3. The edges 2a of the insert part 2 are folded outwardly, so that there is formed a discharge channel 20 for the rain water by virtue of said folded part. These edges form outwardly extending flanges.

The wrapping part 1 is so dimensioned, that its lateral edges 1a normally are superposed the adjacent, folded lateral edges 2:: of the flanges of the insert part 2. The lateral edges 1a of the wrapping part and 2a of the insert part are furnished with corresponding press button halves 41 and 42, so that the superposing lateral edges 1a and 2a are detachably interconnected through the buttoning of the press buttons.

When the press buttons are unbuttoned (FIG. 1, left, where the edge of the wrapping part has been pulled back to improve the showing) the wearer has complete mobility of the arms, while the rain protection remains intact, even when the arms are raised, due to the insert part 2. Additionally, the wearer has, without difficulty, access to the pockets of the clothing underneath the rain protecting garment or to the implements, which are carried under the rain protecting garment.

When the edges of the wrapping part and the insert part are interconnected (FIG. 1, right), there is created a type of narrow passage for the arms at different levels, through which the arms can be stretched. These passages are particularly suitable for activities that basically require a sidewise movement of the arms or merely free hands, since the outwardly folded flange part 211 of the insert secures the necessary freedom of movement, without losing the protection against rain, since the slit that is formed by the mentioned types of motion, between wrapping part and insert part is closed off by part 2b. Other fastening means than the press buttons can be used, but it is seen that the narrow passages provided between the press buttons make this method of securement, or its equivalent, preferable.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 differs from that of FIG. 1, in that the frontal protective part is formed by a front side 5a of a sleeveless coat 5. The two sleeve openings 5b are respectively covered by wrapping parts 6, and 7, being connected with coat 5, along respective seams reaching over the shoulder and laterally down below the sleeve opening in question. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, as is seen, there are two wrapping parts 6 and 7 which extend from their respective front edges around the back and over the shoulders of the wearer. At their rear, separated edges, they are seamed to the back of the sleeveless coat 5. The seaming between the wrapping parts 6 and 7 and the coat 5 extends from the neck down over the shoulders and behind the respective sleeve openings 5b. Thus, the wrapping parts 6 and 7, together with the back of the sleeveless coat 5 form a single wrapping part extending from edge 6a to edge 7a. Seaming may be accomplished by any convenient means, such as sewing other convenient sccurement means, consistent with the mate rial used.

The lateral edges 64! and 7a of the wrapping parts 6 and 7 are provided with press button halves 46 and 4-7, which in combination with corresponding press button halves 45 constitute individually closed press buttons. The ,press button halves 45 are situated on strips or flanges 8, that are fastened onto the front side 5a along its external longitudinal edge, whereby the strips 8 lie underneath the edges 64 and 7a of the wrapping parts 6 and 7. Thus, the strips or flanges 8 lie substantially coterminous with the edges 60 and 7a of the Wrapping part. In this way, they define therebetween a frontal insert part, functionally the same as the insert part 2. Again, the flanges 8 form a discharge channel which guides rainwater away from the arm openings.

The unlimited mobility of the arms is present also in the embodiment of FIG. 2, when the press buttons are on buttoned (FIG. 2, left hand), still maintaining rain protection for the chest portion. Furthermore, the opening for the arms may be chosen sufficiently large, that accessibility to pockets of the regular clothing, etc., remains.

Similar to the first embodiment of FIG. 1, one may also wear the rain protecting garment with closed press-buttons (FIG. 2, right hand). In this case, the width of the strips 8 is sufiicient to provide adequate lateral freedom of movement of the arms without relinquishing the rain protection for the chest.

The material of the rain protecting garments of FIGS. 1 and 2 is, of course, of such nature as to be flexible and rain-repellent. In the more heavy-duty uses, the material is preferably a textile fabric fully impregnated with rubber or synthetic polymer composition material so that it is fully water impervious. However, tightly woven fabrics, either naturally or treated for water repellency, are satisfactory for such use and permit a certain amount of breathing of the fabric so as to provide greater comfort to the wearer. However, the latter types are not normally as waterproof as the former and thus may not be as satisfactory for use for extended time in heavy rain. Furthermore, each garment has a suitable neck opening of suflicient size so that the garment may be donned and removed. A portion of this neck opening is closeable so as to provide satisfactory rain protection.

This invention having been described in its preferred embodiment, and an additional embodiment disclosed, it is clear that this invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and changes within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of the inventive faculty. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.

I claim: 1. A sleeveless rain protecting garment, said ram pIO- tecting garment comprising? a wrapping part, said wrapping part extending across the back, around the arms and over the shoulders of a wearer and terminating in first and second spaced front edges, first and second securing means respectively secured to said first and second spaced front edges; and

a frontal protective part, said frontal protective part being secured to said wrapping part adjacent the shoulders of said wrapping part, said frontal protecting part extending downward and having first and second outwardly extending flanges thereon, said first and second outwardly extending flanges being sub stantially coterminous with said first and second edges of said wrapping part, first and second securing means on said flanges, said first and second securing means on said flanges be adapted to be secured to said first and second securing means on said wrapper so that said edges are respectively secured to said flanges, whereby said wrapping part protects the back, shoulders and arms of the wearer While said front protective part protects the chest of the wearer against inclement weather, said wrapping part and said frontal protective part being made of water resistant material.

2. The sleeveless rain protecting garment of claim 1 wherein said seCuLing means on said first and second edges and said first and second flanges comprise press buttons, said press buttons being so spaced that a hand may be eX- tended between said first edge and said first flange between adjacent press buttons without opening said press buttons.

3. The sleeveless rain protecting garment of claim 1 wherein said wrapping part is continuous from said first edge to said second edge and wherein said frontal protective part is an insert portion, the lateral edges of said insert portion being folded forwardly to form said flanges, said insert portion being secured to said wrapping part by seams at the shoulder of said wrapping part.

4. The sleeveless rain protecting garment of claim 1 wherein said garment comprises a sleeveless coat, said sleeveless coat extending around the back and over the shoulders of the wearer, said first and second flanges being secured in spaced relation to the front of said coat, the

space between said flanges forming the frontal protective part of said garment, said wrapping part comprising first and second wrapping portions extending over the shoulders to terminate in first and second edges coterminous with said flanges and extending rearwardly over the shoulders and secured to the said coat along the shoulders and back thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 305,011 9/1884 Lawton 288 2,657,389 11/1953 Gross -a 288 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,769 1894 Great Britain.

H R J, SCAN A P imary Examiner, 

